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Articles
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| 26-year-old Hill daycare searches for new facility |
VOICE writes, "By Hannah Rexroth
The Jenkins Hill Child Development Center is scrambling to find a new home before its lease in the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church comes to a premature end next August.
The agreement between the church and the nonprofit infant day-care facility, which has operated in the church since 1981, includes a clause that allows the lease to be terminated by either party with 90 days’ notice. The lease was scheduled to end in 2009.
The church is re-evaluating the use of its space and is planning to take a new direction, said the Rev. Andrew Walton, the church pastor.
“I see this as a positive thing for everyone involved,” he said. “I think this could be a great opportunity for Jenkins Hill. They’ve been doing a great work here, but on a very small scale. There is no room for them to expand.” "
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The day-care center has space for 14 children and a waiting list of nearly 120, according to its director, Susan Nowak. About Jenkins Hill, she said, “Most people who want a day care want their children to be in a group environment so they can have friends, but still get personal, one-on-one involvement from staff. We provide both.”
Although there are several day cares on the Hill, Jenkins Hill is one of two that focuses on infants. “It’s what we do best,” said Nowak. “Infants are our specialty.”
Jenkins Hill fills an important need within the community, said Joe Weedon, president of the center. “There’s an unmet need for infant day care on the Hill,” said Weedon, who has one child who attended the center and another who is a current student. “Losing this facility would be a huge blow to the community.”
The center needs to find new space before August in order to stay open, Weedon. said “We are aggressively looking for any space on the Hill.” One criterion for infant-care operations is that the facility must be on ground level, he added.
Walton said he supports the center and is helping it search for a new facility. “I’m always looking for a new space for them, and I really hope that the move is a positive opportunity for them to grow,” he said. “They’ve been here for the past 26 years, and there seems to have been a parting of interests in the last several years, which is no one’s fault. Things go in cycles.”
Board members say they will look until they find something suitable.
“We are asking the community for their assistance,” Weedon said. “Our top priority is to continue to provide a small, nurturing and caring environment to our students.”
Jenkins Hill is governed by a board of directors composed of Nowak and five parent volunteers. Although the majority of the children’s parents either live or work on the Hill, a small number come from outside the neighborhood.
Hill resident Carlson Klapthor, who was a student at a day-care center in the church in the 1960s, now has a son, 17-month-old Christian Klapthor, who attends Jenkins Hill. “The staff is so committed,” he said. “Christian has always felt loved and secure there, which is really important.”
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Posted on Dec 02, 2007 14:08pm.
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